Many of you tell me that you always feel hungry.

Let’s explore shall we?

First off, let’s ask ourselves this question while we’re thinking rationally: Is it possible to be hungry all the time?

Rationally, we know that it’s not possible to be hungry all the time. So what gives?

Well, most of the time it’s emotional hunger.

Real/physical hunger comes on gradually. Emotional hunger comes on suddenly. Real hunger can be satisfied with any food. Yes, that’s right – if an apple doesn’t satisfy our hunger, we’re not truly physically hungry.

Emotional hunger comes with a craving for a specific food. And, unfortunately, it’s usually not for apples. Ever have those times when you eat snack after snack and nothing seems to be hitting the spot? Well, that’s because we’re not physically hungry. We’re emotionally hungry. We’re hungry for something else.

When we get “hungry” it’s worth asking ourselves a few questions:

1. How long has it been since I’ve eaten?

2. What am I really hungry for?

3. Is anything bothering me?

4. If I had an ‘EASY’ button to magically help me with what I’m dealing with, right now, what would I use it for?

Perhaps, what we’re really hungry for is affection, assistance, rest, excitement, peace of mind…

Is it possible to have the need met by someone? How about by yourself?

Here’s the challenge: Many times we feel like our needs can’t or won’t get met – so food becomes our escape.

When we’re “hungry” that is a need we feel like we can actually control.

Sometimes, it can be very helpful to explore what it feels like to have the need go unmet by simply writing about it. Many clients have reported that this eases the discomfort tremendously.

This is also how we can find out what we might really want for ourselves because typically we’d shovel food into our mouth so we don’t have to experience or face the feelings.

Because when we’re not suppressing feelings, they’ll come to the surface, and we’ll be able to see what it is we really want.

Food is ONLY love when it is used to feed our true physical hunger and we actually enjoy and relish and savor the experience. Otherwise, we’re using food to cover up feelings.

Feelings that are preventing us from becoming the person we really want to be.

How do you like them apples?

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Starting a diet is easy. Sticking with it is very hard.

When was the last time you stuck with a diet?

MBT helps you actually stick with your diet and/or exercise plans by providing daily and personal accountability like no other service in the world. This is why we get the results we do. Learn more now by clicking here.

I do a lot of reading on many different topics because health and fitness is comprised of so many different subjects. This is why it drives me crazy when “experts” think we live in a vacuum. Every area of our life impacts our health and fitness. This is why losing weight isn’t about “just eating less and exercising more”. We’re not robots! We’re human beings with emotions hence we emotionally eat. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

When I came across an article about Monica Seles and her life after tennis I was intrigued.

As many of you know, she was the top ranked female tennis player in the world. Sports reporters said she had the potential to be the best tennis player of all time.

And then…

A man stabbed her during a match.

And then…

Her father passed away from cancer.

She began to rely on food. She quietly became a binge eater.

In the interview, Monica said, “I just didn’t want to feel! Food was there for me from 7AM to 11PM. I’d do anything to numb myself and food was so reliable.”

Binge eating is emotional eating on steroids. And if we’re not binge eating then we’re emotionally eating from time to time. We all do.

Emotionally eating is eating to change the way we feel. Most commonly, eating when we’re not actually physically hungry.

Maybe we don’t realize how often we eat when we’re not physically hungry, but once we do, it’s shocking how often we eat emotionally.

Believe it or not, Mike Tyson has some great quotes…

One of my favorites, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.”

And as I always like to say, “If we fail to plan then we plan to fail.” (Hmm, weird that I’m quoting myself.)

But, of course, all the planning in the world doesn’t help when our impulses and emotions get the best of us.

For some reason we’re scared to feel. We’ve been conditioned from childhood to not feel.

“Stop crying,” “Here’s a cookie,” “Stop complaining,” “This won’t matter next week” …and then, we’d find a way to distract ourselves by playing outside or calling a friend, or playing video games, etc…

However, as adults, it’s not so easy to play outside or call a friend or play video games…

Whether it’s our annoying boss at work upsetting us, our significant other, kids, our job, and on and on and on…

If we never let ourselves feel, we’ll never get to the root cause of why we’re emotionally eating.

So this week, let’s work on F-E-E-L-I-N-G.

It sounds so corny and trite but actually acknowledging our feelings will help a lot.

For example…

Your boss is making you do something you don’t want to do.

Instead of grabbing food to deal with the discomfort, why not acknowledge it? “Ugh, right now I dislike my boss because I really don’t want to do this. But I  know this will pass.”

Corny but helpful!

Another example…

Your kids aren’t being appreciative or your s/o isnt…

Instead of eating our sorrows away, how about acknowledging it? “Ugh, my kids are being so ungrateful right now. My s/o is being so ungrateful right now. But I know this feeling will pass. And I know they aren’t always like this but right now it’s really bothering me.”

When we do that, we won’t be as “hungry”. Because as we know, it’s not physical hunger anyway.

And then maybe, just maybe, we can deal with the real issue at hand.

As Monica Seles said, and as we all know, “binging and overeating never feels good. It’s a mask. A very, very itchy mask.”

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Starting a diet is easy. Sticking with it is very hard.

When was the last time you stuck with a diet?

MBT helps you actually stick with your diet and/or exercise plans by providing daily and personal accountability like no other service in the world. This is why we get the results we do. Learn more now by clicking here.

Lisa, a client, writes, “I don’t know why I ate crap at the mall. I wasn’t even particular hungry,” in her daily report.

It seems like many of us have a lot of shopping left to do so this is worth exploring.

But this doesn’t only apply to eating crap at the mall. It applies to eating crap whenever, wherever: home, school, at a party, work, etc.

We can all learn a lot by exploring why Lisa ate what she did.

Let’s say Lisa does all the right things. She eats an MBT approved meal before she goes to the mall so she’s not physically hungry.

She even packs along a healthy snack just in case she winds up spending more time there than expected.

(I’m gushing. I’m so proud!)

Lisa is shopping along, shopping along. Buying for everyone on her list one by one. This is, of course, after she deals with the nightmare of parking and all of the excitement that comes with it.

So already she might be on edge. (Maybe not though. Lisa might love going to the mall and all of the energy it has. I’m not sure.)

Regardless, she’s focused.

Crossing things off her list left and right. “Hmm, would he like this?” “Hey sir, can I hold this shirt up to you. Yeah, he’s about that size. Perfect. It’ll work!”

After a little while of this, she decides to go to another store but first she’s lucky enough to pass the intoxicating smell of all sorts of fat, sugar and salt filling the air on the way to the next store.

Immediately, these smells and sights trigger memories and feelings. They trigger feelings of calmness, peace, tastiness and ultimately, pleasure.

But she’s not hungry. She already ate and she has work to do.

“Focus Lisa! Lots of people to buy gifts for!” she thinks to herself.

She gets back into it.

She goes into the next store looking for the perfect gift for the next person on her list. “I have no idea if she’ll like this but I think it looks kinda cool. Eh, not sure….Ah, this is it. She’ll love this!”

After this song and dance for about 45 minutes, it’s time to venture back out into the mall.

This time, she’s a tad agitated, tired, and stressed. As much fun as it is to shop for others, it’s starting to become a little annoying.

And this time, we pass the hot dog and french fry place. “Oh, I love hot dogs,” Lisa thinks to herself.

“Na, I don’t want this!” “Ugh, it looks and smells so good.” “I know I’m going to regret eating it because it’s going to make me feel bad.” “Fine, let’s just take a look at the menu. But you’re not getting anything!” “I don’t want this, I’m not even hungry!”

“Hi, can I have a hot dog and french fries please?”

DJ turn the music off.

Rrrrrr – this is when the record comes to a screeching halt.

As soon we realize we’re having this negotiation with ourselves, it’s time to think about something else. Very rarely does our long term, rational mind win a negotiation.

As soon as we’re about to negotiate with ourselves, change the channel. Focus on something else. Go to Sharper Image and sit in one of their amazing massage chairs and focus on that.

This is also at the height of the discomfort I always talk and write about. We’re in battle baby. In the midst of a strong urge. But it’s important to remember it will pass. It always does.

The best way to help it pass along as quickly as possible is to focus as intensely as we do on the urge, on something else!

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THE REAL REASON WHY YOU’RE EATING CRAP…

Whether it’s at the mall, work, or home…

The underlying challenge is that is we feel entitled to reward ourselves because we’ve been working so hard for everyone else. “What about me?!”

Or maybe you’ve just been working so damn hard at work.

At home.

As a parent.

At school.

Here in lies the real reason.

We view food as a reward for all of our hard work.

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Sure, the dopamine squirt we get from eating sugar, salt and fat is pleasurable. Sometimes, it might even feel like pure bliss.

Unfortunately, though, as we all know, it’s extremely fleeting. It literally goes away the moment we’re done eating it. And then all sorts of negative feelings come into play.

How else can Lisa reward herself?

Here are 4 ideas for her to use next time:

1. On the way home she can stop and get a massage or her nails done.

2. She can buy herself something as well. But only once she’s done buying for everyone else.

3. She can buy that book she’s been wanting to read.

4. She can indulge on healthy food. Why not stop at a healthy place and pick up food? (It’s fascinating how when we have a strong craving we don’t think twice about spending good money on junk food — yet, when we’re focused and on point, we question whether it’s worth spending good money on good food.)

Food is only food. It’s not our best friend. It’s not our worst enemy. And it doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy food. Food IS a pleasure!

However, food isn’t a reward.

***

HOW TO MAKE ANYONE UPSET…

Take away their rewards. If someone is used to getting rewarded with a gold star and you suddenly take it away, they’ll get upset. Perhaps even cranky and edgy — especially, if that’s the only way they get rewarded.

If food is the only way you reward yourself the key question to answer is:

How else can you reward yourself?

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If you have trouble staying consistent with your diet and/or exercise MBT is for you! (Hint: If you’re not in the shape you want to be in you’re not staying consistent — because if you were — you’d be in great shape.) Unfortunately, consistency is the hard part. Life gets in the way. Learn why MBT has been able to help 1000’s of people of all ages, sizes and shapes get the body they want, risk free.

Let’s get tactical, tactical, I wanna get tactical, let’s get into tactical…

Today, as you might have guessed, I want to get tactical.

**

First off, a note on why you don’t always get “tactical” posts from me.

I HATE articles that say, “Eat these 10 amazing foods!” Or, “Do these 5 magical exercises!” Why? Because 2/3 of America is not overweight because we don’t know what to do. A lack of knowledge is not the real problem. (If anything there is TOO MUCH info out there – which causes people to feel confused  = do nothing.)

It’s not about a lack of knowledge. It’s about a lack of consistent action.

When someone says, “Just eat less and move more!” it makes my blood boil. Sure, “Just eat less and move more” sounds good but that doesn’t address the psychology of weight loss, at all.

Tactics without the right mindset is like getting bariatric surgery without understanding WHY we’re overeating in the first place. If we don’t understand the root cause, we’re just delaying the inevitable —> gaining the weight back.

Without a foundation, people’s efforts are a waste of time. This isn’t even taking into account all of the unsustainable diets people follow (the could I see myself doing this in 5 years type of diet. If yes = good! If no “Um, I can’t see myself drinking shakes 5x a day in 5 years from now” – that = bad.).

I can write a whole book on this so I’ll get into the tactics now.

But I encourage you to check out this post I wrote a while back, “Why I’ll probably never write a bestselling health and fitness book“.

Onward.

**

Many of you tell me that you always feel hungry. I hear ya!

Let’s explore:

First off, let’s ask ourselves this question while we’re thinking rationally:  Is it possible to be hungry all the time?

Rationally, we know that it’s not possible to be hungry all the time. So what gives?

Well, most of the time it’s EMOTIONAL hunger NOT physical.

Physical hunger comes on gradually. Emotional hunger comes on suddenly. Real hunger can be satisfied with any food. Yes, that’s right – if an apple doesn’t satisfy our hunger, we’re not really physically hungry.

Tip: Many times we just finish the food in front of us simply because it’s, well, in front of us. Try asking yourself this question mid-meal, “Would I eat an apple right now?” If the answer is no, you’re not physically hungry anymore.

Tip: That’s why the easiest way to eat less is to serve ourselves less. We can’t eat what’s not there. I’d rather avoid the dragon than have to slay it!

And if we serve ourselves less, we don’t have to bother asking ourselves questions mid-meal!

Emotional hunger comes with a craving for a specific food. And unfortunately, it’s usually not for apples.

When we get ‘hungry’ it’s worth asking ourselves a few questions:

1. How long has it been since I’ve eaten?

2. What was the last thing I ate?

3. Was it something nutritious?

If you suspect your hunger might be emotional, ask yourself what you might be really hungry for?

Perhaps, it’s affection, assistance, rest, excitement, peace of mind, tension relief…

Is it possible to have the need met by someone? How about by yourself?

Here’s the challenge: Many times we feel like our needs can’t or won’t get met so food becomes our escape.

When we’re ‘hungry’ that is one need we feel like we CAN control.

ABOUT TO EMOTIONALLY EAT?

As you know, I’m a big fan of asking ourselves questions. Questions change our perspective. And that’s what it’s all about.

If you’re about to emotionally eat, ask yourself:

1. What’s really bothering me? Or what am I really hungry for?

2. What can I do about it?

3. Why don’t I do anything about it? —-> This is the kicker. Because while it might be “easier” in the short run to choose to be powerLESS rather than be powerFUL in the moment, it’s like the annoying door to door salesmen…if we don’t answer the door, they’ll keep knocking.

Why not answer it sooner rather than later?

Untill we ANSWER the door we’ll just keep suppressing emotions.

Can’t be powerFUL, no matter what? Maybe it’s something beyond our control.

Sometimes, it can be very helpful to explore what it feels like to have the need go unmet by simply writing about it, and many clients have reported that this eases the discomfort tremendously, and of course, like all discomfort (and pleasure) it subsides.

This is also how to find out what you might really want out of your life because typically we’d shovel food into our mouth so we don’t have to experience or face the feelings.

When we’re not suppressing those feelings, they’ll come to the surface, and we’ll be able to see what it is we really want.

Food is ONLY love when it is used to feed our true physical hunger and we actually enjoy and relish and savor the experience. Otherwise, we’re using food to cover up feelings.

Feelings that might be preventing us from becoming the person we really want to be.

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If you’re ready to actually change, consider trying my program. It’s 100% money back guaranteed.